How to wear bold hair colour

25 Jun How to wear bold hair colour

I was invited to a wig party recently, so decided to invest in a wig that I would love so much I’d be happy to wear more than once. But what colour would best flatter my blonde colouring and not make me look washed out?

Knowing that pastel shades looked good on me, I finally found an on-trend, multi-tonal Cosplay wig on eBay which was mid-blue at the crown, gradually fading down the length to lilac with pale pink ends. Perfect!

So that was the wig sorted. But what about makeup? Obviously this would be important in bringing the whole look together so it did require some thought, and I decided on strong, lined eyes with neutral-toned lips – Wild about Beauty Kajal Pencil Duo in Maeve and MAC Lipcolour in Brave were my two key items.

If you’re also thinking of buying a coloured wig or dyeing your hair a statement shade, here are some great tips from super stylist Akin Konizi, International Creative Director of HOB Salons, and makeup artist and beauty expert Karen Beadle. The image is by London’s funkiest salon, Bleach, who are specialists in edgy hair colour.

How do I go about choosing the right hair colour?

AK: When considering a bold pastel or bright shade, you need to make sure you understand your own skin tone. Firstly, determine which category you fit into to work out what hue would be best; is your skin tone warm or cool? Most people will know whether they want to be blonde, brunette, red or even blue, but the key is to find the right shade of these colours to compliment your natural colouring.

Can I custom colour and style a wig?

AK: A human hair wig can be styled with heated appliances and coloured like your own, so if you buy one that doesn’t completely suit your skin tone, your colourist can create your perfect shade. If you are on the lighter side, I recommend buying a blonde wig so you can go a bit darker if needs be, rather than buying a darker wig and having to lighten it, as you still have to be aware of the condition. A light wig is also perfect for creating pastel or bright tones.

You can NOT use heated appliances on synthetic wigs as this will burn and melt the hair, however they are low maintenance and easy to wear. There is quite a big price difference in synthetic to real hair wigs, so if you are on a budget then synthetic wigs are a great option, especially as the quality has improved so much in recent years.

What makeup should I go for?

KB: Bold coloured hair can drain the colour from the skin due to the strong and unnatural pigments contrasting with your natural colouring. Make sure you use products with a strong pigment that either contrast or match your hair colour. Here are some tips on the type of makeup that will work:

Make sure your base is smooth and even; finish with a dusting of translucent powder

Use an eyeliner gel as they come in many colours and work well when used to define the eyes. Apply and smudge to create a smoky effect. Choose one that really contrasts with your hair or wig colour so that it really stands out!

Curl and coat lashes in black and for a fun effect tip the lashes with a different colour, such as blue, pink or mauve

Try not to use too much colour on your cheeks – I recommend a cream blusher applied to the apples of the cheeks

Either match your lip colour to your hair colour or try a pastel blue or pink to contrast, e.g pink wig, blue lips! A blue wig teamed with fuschia pink lipstick would look amazing. If you’re wearing a dark wig, either go for a nude lip colour or something that is as strong as the pigment in the hair.